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Build Your Own Scoreboard

Wouldn’t it be cool to build your own full sized outdoor scoreboard?  This is exactly what joevpt has done. The scoreboard uses 24 DMD displays which are controlled by 6 Arduino boards. Impressively the scoreboard updates automatically from an iPhone app which is used to keep track of the scores at joevpt’s rugby club. If you want to read more about this project checkout this thread on the Freetronics forum. 

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If you are impressed by this project and want to build your own scoreboard, why not checkout the range of displays offered by Freetronics. They are simple to use, yet very bright for indoor and outdoor situations. Available in various colours, the 32 x 16 LED matrix can display text and graphics easily, and can be daisy-chained together for extended displays. For more information, find out more about the Freetronics Dot Matrix Displays here.

Want to keep in the loop about the latest in home automation? Subscribing to SuperHouse Automation on YouTube is the best place to start!

Inspired to start work on this project? Are you working on a project you would like us to feature in this blog? The team at SuperHouse Automation would love to know! Tell us about it in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter.

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What is Arduino?

If you have been following our Facebook or Twitter pages or reading our blog you have probably heard a lot about this wonderful thing called “Arduino”.  Although most of you are probably well versed in what Arduino is, some of our readers may have no idea. For this weeks Skill Sunday we have put together a brief introduction about exactly what Arduino is and why you should be interested, you can find it here.

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Just discovered what Arduino is and you would like to learn how to use it yourself? The team at SuperHouse Automation recommends the Freetronics Experimenter’s Kit for Arduino. The package includes a wide variety of parts, sensors and modules including: a servo motor, lights, buttons, switches, sound, sensors, breadboard, wires and more. Furthermore a Freetronics Eleven Arduino-compatible board is included to make this an extensive hobby experimenter, inventor and starter kit. The kit also includes a great project and instruction booklet, plus access to a supporting web page and software examples. To get started or for more information and to pre-order (just in time for Christmas), check out the product page.

Want to keep in the loop about the latest in home automation? Subscribing to SuperHouse Automation on YouTube is the best place to start!

Inspired to start work on this project? Are you working on a project you would like us to feature in this blog? The team at SuperHouse Automation would love to know! Tell us about it in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter.

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Gesture Controlled Smart Home

It is already possible to easily control devices in your house using an app on your phone, but what if you could turn on the lights or open the blinds with a simple movement of your hands? This is exactly what Joaquim has done using an MYO gesture control armband.

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Joaquim has explained his project in great detail, but the results certainly have to been seen to be believed. To find out more check out the following link.

Fundamental to almost all home automation project is the ability to connect devices to Wifi. If you are wondering how to connect your Arduino to Wifi, why not checkout the Freetronics ESP-01 WiFi Module shield for ArduinoThe shield has a socket that’s perfect for the ESP-01 module (a very common and cheap wifi module), and addresses all the needs of the ESP8266 including supplying the correct power and connections to your Arduino. Don’t fiddle with jumper wires or sub-standard power supplies – order your Freetronics ESP-01 WiFi Module Shield today! They’re in stock right now for only $14.

Want to keep in the loop about the latest in home automation? Subscribing to SuperHouse Automation on YouTube is the best place to start!

Inspired to start work on this project? Are you working on a project you would like us to feature in this blog? The team at SuperHouse Automation would love to know! Tell us about it in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter.

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Surface Mount Soldering

Surface mount parts can be so small that assembling surface mount projects can seem like magic! However, nowadays with the increasing prevalence of surface-mount technology (SMT)  knowing how to put SMT projects together has become an increasingly important skill. Luckily Freetronics have put together a great tutorial to help you get started with SMT assembly. To get started assembling your own SMT boards in no time checkout the following link.  

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Want to keep in the loop about the latest in home automation? Subscribing to SuperHouse Automation on YouTube is the best place to start!

Inspired to start work on this project? Are you working on a project you would like us to feature in this blog? The team at SuperHouse Automation would love to know! Tell us about it in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter.

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Reading Resistor Colour Codes

Resistors are a fundamental part of almost all electronic circuits. Regardless of which project you are working on you will need to make sure that you are using the right resistors! To help you learn about how to determine the value of your resistor using the colour bands that are present on through hole resistors, our friends at Freetronics have put together a comprehensive tutorial. You can check it out at the following link.

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Want to keep in the loop about the latest in home automation? Subscribing to SuperHouse Automation on YouTube is the best place to start!

Working on your own home automation projects? The team at SuperHouse Automation would love to know! Tell us about it in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter.

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Eject-A-Bed

Do you ever struggle to get your kids out of bed in the morning? With this awesome hack from Jamie Dixon you can modify an old adjustable hospital bed so that you can control it over the internet, from anywhere in the world. With a simple push of a button on your phone or computer you can tilt the bed from a comfortable horizontal position into a vertical position sending the occupant flying out of their bed and hopefully waking them up without causing any serious injuries!

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The eject a bed is controlled by Raspberry Pi 2 which talks to a servo and an Arduino. This is a really great project for learning how to control things over the internet and is sure to be lots of fun as well. For more information check out the following link or the video below.

Want to keep in the loop about the latest in home automation? Subscribing to SuperHouse Automation on YouTube is the best place to start!

Working on your own home automation projects? The team at SuperHouse Automation would love to know! Tell us about it in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter.